Hold-down device



Sept. 15, 1959 N. GENTILINE HoLD-bbwN DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1957 FIG. i

nvmvron NAozEmu G awnuus BY v a mu flm M AT TO 2M EY-S HOLD-DOWN DEVICE Nadz erin G e'ntiline, Kings'ford, Mich.

Y Application January 4,- 1957, Serial .No. 632,537 j claims. ((1248-3161) This invention relates to fastening means, and more particularly to a .device for releasably anchoring an object 'to asupport.

A- main object of the inventionis to provide a novel and improved releasable hold-down device which is simple in' construction, which is easy to operate, and which provides a-yieldable but secure anchoring effect on-the object with which it is' engaged.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved hold-down. device for fastening a boat or similar objectl onto; atrailer or other supporting means, the hold-down device being inexpensive to fabricate, being ruggedv .in eons'trucn'on, being arranged so that it is not subject :to accidental unlocking, being yieldable to assist in absorbing road shocks andthereby minimizing damage to the boat anchored thereby, and being operable by simple manual movements.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent-from the. following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figurel is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion or a boat trailer and a beat anchored on the trailer by means of an'impro'ved hold-down device according to the present-invention.

Figure 2 is an-"enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

1 Figure 3 an enlarged elevational; view of the lower poi-tion of the hold-down device employed in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, to a reduced scale, showing the hold-down device of the present invention provided with extension means to reduce the anchoring force exerted thereby, or to elongate the same, in accordance with the nature of the boat with which the device is to be employed.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, 11 designates a support, for example,

the frame of a boat trailer shaped to receive a boat 12 thereon. The frame 11 has secured to the side thereof a bracket member 13 which is formed with an outwardly projecting vertical flange 14 extending substantially at right angles to the main body of the plate-like bracket member 13.

The flange 14 has horizontally extending top and bottom edges and is formed in its bottom edge with a rectangular notch 15. Designated at 16 is a generally L- shaped arm pivoted at its inner end to the upper forward corner of the bracket plate 13, as shown at 17, the arm 16 being spaced from the bracket plate so as to be in the same longitudinal vertical plane as the notch 15, for example, by the use of a spacing Washer 18 between the arm and the plate 13. As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the outer portion of arm 16, designated at 19, is arranged so that the intermediate portion thereof will be received in the notchwhen the arm is in its rearwardly extending position, shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4.

Designated at 20 is a link bar which is pivoted to the arm 16 between the flange 14 and the pivotal conthe link bar 20. The opposite end of the spring 21 is" formed with a hook 22 which is engaged with the outwardly projecting hook element 23 of a generally U-' shaped anchoring bracket 24- adapted to engage over the top edge of the side wall of the boat 12 in the manner" clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The arm 19 may be swung counterclockwise from its position shown in Figure 1 and shown in fullline view in Figure 3, to the dotted view position thereof shown in Figure 3, the pivotal connection 17 being so located that in this dotted view position the major portion 6f rim 19 and the portion of link bar 20 connected there to are above the top edge of flange 14, whereby the tension on the spring 21 is released. This is the position of arm 16 when the device is being first applied to the top edge of the side wall of a boat 12 to be anchored to the trailer supporting frame 11. Thus, the U-shaped bracket member 24 is engaged over the top edge of the side wall 12 of the boat, and the arm 16 is then rotated clockwise from its dotted view position of Figure 3 to the full line position thereof, whereby the link bar 20 is rotated clockwise past the dead center position there of with respect to the pivot pin 17, developing sub-' stantial tension in the spring 21 and allowing the" outer portion 19 of the arm 16 to engage in the notch 15. The tension in the spring 21 maintains the top edge of the arm 16 engaged in the notch 15 and the flange 14 sup ports the arm 16 against the force of the spring.

As will be apparent from Figures 1 and 3, the outer portion of the arm 16 projects rearwardly and cannot be easily rotated by contact with objects on the road the trailer is being moved forwardly, whereby accidental release of the hold-down device is avoided. 7

If it should be desired to reduce the tension exerted on' the anchored object by the spring 21, or to extendthe hold-down device to engage a larger boat or other object than originally contemplated, an extension chain2'5' may be connected between the spring hook 22 and the bracket hook 23, as shown in Figure 4.

While a specific embodiment of an improved holddown device for a boat trailer or for a similar support has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a support, a hold-down device comprising an arm pivoted at one end to the support, an outwardly projecting vertical plate-like abutment member on the support adjacent the pivotal connection of the arm, said abutment member having a top edge and having a bottom edge and being engageable at its bottom edge by the top edge of the arm, an upwardly extending link bar connected at its bottom edge to the arm between said abut ment member and said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection being so located that said arm and the portion of the link bar connected thereto are at times rotatable away from said bottom edge to a position wherein the major portion of the arm and said portion of the link bar are above the top edge of the abutment member, a coiled spring connected to said link member, and hook means connected to the end of said spring and being engageable with an object to be anchored on the support.

2. In a support, a hold-down device comprising an arm pivoted at one end to the support, an outwardly projecting vertical abutment flange on the support adjacent the pivotal connection of the arm, said abutment member having a top edge and a bottom edge and being engageable at its bottom edge by the top edge of the arm, the bottom edge of the flange being formed with a notch to receive the top edge of the arm, an upwardly extending link bar connected at its bottom end to the arm between said abutment flange and said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection being so located that said arm and the portion of the link bar connected thereto are at times rotatable away from said bottom edge to a position wherein the major portion of the arm and said portion of the link bar are above the top edge of the abutment member, a coiled spring connected to said link member, and hook means connected to the end of said spring and being engageable with an object to be anchored on the support.

3. In a support, a hold-down device comprising an arm pivoted at one end to the support, an outwardly projecting vertical abutment flange on the support adjacent the pivotal connection of the arm said abutment flange having a horizontal top edge and having a horizontal bottom edge spaced a substantial distance below said pivotal connection, said bottom edge being engageable by the top edge of the arm, said bottom edge being formed with a notch to receive the top edge of said arm, an upwardly extending link bar connected to the arm between said abutment flange and said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection being so located that said am and the portion of the link bar connected thereto are at times rotatable away from said bottom edge to a position wherein the major portion of the arm and said portion of the link bar are above the top edge of the abutment member, a coiled spring connected to said link member, and hook means connected to the end of said spring and being engageable with an object to be anchored on the support.

4. In a support, a hold-down device comprising a generally L-shaped arm pivoted at one end to the support, an outwardly projecting vertical abutment flange on the support adjacent the pivotal connection of the arm said abutment flange having a horizontal top edge and having a horizontal bottom edge spaced a substantial distance below said pivotal connection, said bottom edge being formed with a notch to receive the top edge of the arm and being spaced a substantial distance below said pivotal connection, an upwardly extending link bar connected to the arm between said abutment flange and said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection being so located that said arm and the portion of the link bar connected thereto are at times rotatable away from said bottom edge to a position wherein the major portion of the arm and said portion of the link bar are above the top edge of the abutment member, a coiled spring connected to said link member, and hook means connected to the end of said spring and being engageable with an object to be anchored on the support.

5. In a support, a hold-down device comprising a generally L-shaped arm pivoted at its inner end to the support, an outwardly projecting vertical abutment flange on the support adjacent the pivotal connection of the arm said abutment flange having a horizontal top edge and having a horizontal bottom edge spaced a substantial distance below said pivotal connection, said botom edge being engageable by the top edge of the outer portion of the arm, the bottom edge of the flange being formed with a notch to receive the top edge of the outer portion of the arm, an upwardly extending link bar connected to the arm between said abutment flange and said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection being so located that said arm and the portion of the link bar connected thereto are at times rotatable away from said bottom edge to a position wherein the major portion of the arm and said portion of the link bar are above the top edge of the abutment member, a coiled spring connected to said link member, and a generally U-shaped, downwardly facing anchor bracket connected to the end of said spring and being engageable with an object to be anchored on the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 432,219 Young July 15, 1890 1,061,283 Griflin May 13, 1913 2,539,997 Graves Jan 30, 1951 2,564,702 Linneman Aug. 21, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTSv 175,479 Great Britain Feb. 23, 1922 7 812,502 Germany July 5, 1951 

